Story Trumps Structure

You all know how Facebook will show you want a friend likes/comments on sometimes. I'm not sure what the algorithm for that is, but it does happen. One day a friend commented on someone's picture of her holding up a book that looked interesting. I decided to see if my library had it. They were processing it as a new book when I first looked. I slapped a hold on it and waited for it to get put on the shelves. The book is Story Trumps Structure, by Steven James.

I was the first person to check it out. I gleefully opened it up and started reading. I couldn't get into it. I put it aside and finished up the fantasy book I'd been reading. I tried again, but still couldn't get into it. Then I realized that maybe it was my background noise. Sometimes I concentrate better if I have music on over a movie, or my favorite podcast instead of music.

I experimented and found that with music I was able to concentrate on the words in front of me. I read a quarter of the book that night. I've progressively read a few chapters every day since then, and the more I read the more I feel that the process he's describing fits my writing style completely.

One of the things he talks about is writing organically. Figure out where you want the story to begin and how you want it to end and then let the story flow naturally to get from point A to point Z. Keep three simple questions in mind and see if you can answer them in every major scene in the book.

I still haven't finished it. I've got a few more chapters to read before Thursday. It's only a 2 week loan, and I can't renew it because there are more holds on it. I know I'll finish it before then though. I'd like to read it through again, and soon I'll be able to. Thanks to the kindness of someone I love, I've got my own copy on its way. It was half price at the Writer's Digest store (it's a WD book). As far as I know, it's still there and still half price. It's a book I highly recommend.